Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(9)

He looked at Oliver. “About how long was Cici gone getting the car taken care of for you?”

Oliver halted halfway raising a cashew to his mouth and plunked it back in the bowl. “Am I missing something?”

“They’re just standard questions, Mr. Pierce. When we look at the video of the garage, we’ll see time stamps. We’re just making sure everyone’s stories match up. That’s it.”

Oliver blinked a few extra times and thought back. “I guess… ten minutes? I didn’t pay close attention. An appropriate amount of time though.”

Bradford scribbled away. “And you didn’t see anyone suspicious lurking around in the garage when you took the car out?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Cici told me where the car was parked, I took the elevator down and headed out. I didn’t see anyone.”

“Did the car service know who the car was for?”

Cici crossed her legs. “The rental was under my name, not his.”

After asking a few more questions, Bradford flipped his notebook shut. “This should do it. We’ll let you know when we finish reviewing the footage.”

“Thanks so much.” Oliver stood and shook the detectives’ hands and saw them out. When he returned to the living room, he picked a rogue nut from between his teeth. He rubbed his face with both hands and ran them through his hair, locking them behind his head. Even exhausted he was gorgeous. “Cici, would you mind seeing if Camille is through with her bath yet and telling her there’s food down here.”

Cici rose from her stool with a less than thrilled expression. Moments later, Camille glided down the stairs and greeted us with a glazed smile. Cici headed into the kitchen and took out several containers of food.

Camille approached it like it was going to jump up and bite her. She crossed her arms tightly around her midsection. “Are there any egg whites in here? I can’t eat any of this.”

“Yes, Camille,” Cici said. “I ordered basic egg whites with spinach and mushrooms, no cheese.”

“That’s Oliver’s. It’s his favorite.”

“There’s plenty here. I’ll have something else.” He took the container of eggs and spooned some on to a plate for Camille. “You have to eat something. You’re going to pass out if you don’t.”

Cici opened a container of mixed melon, strawberries, and pineapple. “Here’s a fruit salad too.” She pushed it into the center of the island and stuck a spoon in it.

Camille put her hand to her chest and shrank back. “What are you trying to do? Kill me?”

Cici glanced at the fruit. “I’m so sorry.” Her cheeks blazed. “I ordered it before I knew you’d be here. I… I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s precisely what I was going to say,” Camille said.

Oliver shut the lid and pushed the fruit aside. “It was an oversight. She didn’t know you were going to be here. It’s out of the way now. Cici, could you take that and throw it down the garbage chute in the hallway, please?”

“Of course.” Cici picked up the fruit. “I’m so, so sorry. I just forgot.”

Camille remained cool until Cici walked out of the kitchen. “You’re always taking care of me. Thank you, darling.”

Oliver nodded and smiled. “Please, sit.”

After the odd fruit incident, the rest of breakfast went smoothly. Cici had ordered enough food to feed a small army, and Oliver had plenty of other options to choose from. While Camille and Oliver ate, Vance toted Camille’s bags to the second floor and left Cici to unpack the luggage. Everyone finished their breakfasts, and morning faded into late afternoon.

Cici left to get groceries, escorted by Vance at Oliver’s insistence. When they returned, Cici went into the kitchen and unloaded, and Vance kept her close company. While she put everything away, they stole little glances at each other. The muscles in my back stiffened, and I lowered my chin, looking on with a cold stare. When I couldn’t take watching the blatant flirtation anymore, I picked at my fingers to distract myself.

By early evening, Camille emerged from her room upstairs with no hair out of place and joined Oliver on the sofa. She tossed a few of the pillows out of the way and curled her legs up before releasing a sharp sigh. Oliver shot her a sideways glance. He gathered his paperwork into a neat pile and placed them in a bag resting at his feet.

“Diana?” Oliver asked.

“Yes?”

“Camille and I were thinking of getting out to see a little bit of the city tonight. Nothing fancy. She’s still a little jetlagged.” He blindly reached back and placed a hand on her thigh. “We need something low key and away from crowds. Any suggestions?”

I took a moment and ran through a few options. “There’s a nice walkway that runs along the river close to here. It leads into a new park and you can see some of the bridges along the way. There might be a few people out walking, but it’s supposed to be a little cool tonight. That should keep the crowds down.”

He turned to Camille. “How does a walk sound? We can grab a quick bite. You’ve been up in the room all day. I’m sure you’re starving.”

“I bought some sushi,” Cici called from the kitchen. “I can plate it up for you if you’d like.”